4/20/2020
Topic:
Students with Disabilities
David Pletincks
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I've had several students with disabilities over the years. We, as arts educators, are accustomed to making the necessary accommodations in our instruction to work with these students and help them excel. One young I had in middle school choir for 3 years with Aspergers. She had perfect pitch and, by far, the most beautiful voice in my entire school. But her disability would cause her to speak things in class that would be best left unsaid. Things like, "the girls behind me are singing flat." Her parents were always 100% behind me and wanted me to treat her like any other child. Obviously, I'd have to handle the situation a bit different than another child, but I quickly discovered how her disability was going to manifest itself in my environment and I knew what I'd have to do in each instance to handle it. |
5/2/2020
Topic:
Tools and Strategies
David Pletincks
|
I have regularly used at least two of these strategies, the peer partners strategy and mnemonic devices. The mnemonic devices are consistent through all three years in my middle school classroom and are constantly being reinforced. Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Bologna, Empty Garbage Before Dad Flips, All Cars Eat Gas, Space rhymes with FACE, etc. It always surprises me each fall how much of this is engrained in their memory. Peer partners is also critical. When I have a student with a disability I place them next to someone they know and feel comfortable with, someone I know will also be helpful. So they get to pick where they sit to start with. That person also knows to assist them in note taking, vocabulary words instruction and so forth. At the same time, it also makes that middle schooler feel a sense of pride knowing that I "need" them to be of assistance. I had a girl this year who had epileptic seizures at school 4 times a week, usually brought on by stress and anxiety. Only once did she ever have one in my class. In addition to me providing a safe, fun environment for her, she got to sit next to Emily, who she said was her best friend in the class |
5/2/2020
Topic:
Assessment of Learning
David Pletincks
|
When I have students with anxiety disorders, I make accommodations to their singing exams. I have 4 digital voice recorders and while the class is practicing as a group, they record themselves into the recorder so no one can hear them singing. They also then get the benefit of singing with the entire class, but I will only really hear them on the recorder. |